Holiday Fever
by Bellaniza
Summary: A wild impulse. A chance meeting. After a failed relationship and daunting career stress, Bulma decides a change in her life is necessary. Christmas and work deadlines fast approaching, she abruptly swaps homes for the holidays, taking her halfway around the world. She never imagined meeting Vegeta. He never expected her to enter his life. No matter the distance...


Call off the funeral everyone, I'm alive!

It has been a long time coming I know, and I'm deeply sorry for my absence.

It's been almost 2 years since I've put out anything new or even my next chapter for "It Falls On Me", but I am finally writing again. Not only have I experienced an extreme case of writer's block, but I've also been suffering from moderate depression. My desire to write had been non-existent while I lived life one day at a time and tried to find some joy with myself and within my life again. I never meant to leave my story unfinished and to leave you all waiting, so I hope you can find it in your hearts to understand and accept me back as a fan fiction writer.

Back in September I signed up for a Secret Santa project hosted on the 'We're Just Saiyan' community that I am a member of on Google+. I had hoped by taking the challenge that it would help kick start my writing again and bring my creativity back to life. We were assigned writing prompts on a Christmas-themed movie, poem, or story that were requested by fellow members, and our project was to write the prompt using a DBZ or Vegeta/Bulma theme within it.

I received a wonderful prompt, probably the best I could have ever gotten. I was assigned to write a Vegeta/Bulma-inspired bit based on the movie "The Holiday" with Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and Jack Black. So below, for your reading pleasure, is my labor of love.

Thank you Sintina Soeburn, for picking this most amazing Christmas prompt. I am grateful that you were assigned to me. I couldn't have picked out a better prompt myself. You have helped me so much with getting back into writing and breathing creativity back into my life by your wonderful request. I'm not sure you'll ever realize what a blessing it has been to me. Merry Christmas, Sintina. I'm so glad you liked it, and I am so excited to be sharing this with my followers and anyone else that may come upon it.

I hope you all enjoy this read!

* * *

 _"A meeting between two beings,_

 _who complete one another,_

 _who are made for each other_

 _borders already, in my opinion, on a miracle."_

 **Holiday Fever**

 _Everything!_

 _Clothes. Shoes. Pictures._

 _Definitely all the pictures._

The beautiful blue tornado stormed into the room, absolutely disgusted and at her wits end. Swinging open the balcony doors she hurriedly grabbed the items from her mental checklist, tossing them outside to the ground below.

"C'mon babe, don't do this!" Yamcha called out from below, watching his material belongings being cast away.

" **Don't you dare 'c'mon babe' me!"** Bulma shrieked as she forcefully hurled a steel baseball bat aimed straight at his head, just missing him. _Damn, so close. Maybe he has another one around here._

"Bulma!" he scolded, taken aback by her violence as he narrowly dodged the bat. "I think you need to calm down, we need to talk about this!"

"Calm down? _CALM DOWN_?! There is **NOTHING** to calm down about! It's over, Yamcha! I'm done! Take all your shit and get off my property!" she exclaimed as she threw two armloads of his clothes over the balcony. _God, how did I let him keep so much of his crap at my house?_

"Seriously, you don't mean that, babe. We can work this out and get though this!" he called up to her, seeing her steely gaze narrow on him. He watched her whip around in a huff and disappear from his view. He awkwardly stood there looking at all his stuff strewn upon the grass. She was always so melodramatic, he inwardly sighed, as he heard her come through the back door. "Why do we always have to go though this?"

"How could you cheat on me, you asshole?!" Bulma screeched, giving him an accusatory look that could melt steel. "After all the years! And after everything I've given you, I'm just not good enough, am I? I can't believe you! How could you?!…and with some whore from your gym!"

"Babe, I didn't…."

" _Don't you start!"_ she warned him, her eyes fiercely locked into his, ready to snap at any slight lie she might find within them. "Tell me, right now Yamcha, did you sleep with her, or not!" His hesitation in answering was all the response she needed before she slapped him, and _hard._

"Ow!" He cradled the side of his face, surprised at the force of the sting from her slap.

 _I fucking knew it!_ "Take all your shit and get off my property now, before I call the police on you!" She expected him to cower in shame and start grabbing his items. She didn't expect him to start chuckling. " _Why are you laughing?"_ she asked venomously.

Yamcha shook his head, his laugh low and soft, giving her an amused look. "Because all of this is pointless. You always think I did something wrong, you get pissed off and kick me out, then after awhile we start talking and working things out, and get back together again. It's like fucking clockwork. I don't see why we have to go through the motions over and over again. Let's just skip all the drama and help me take my stuff back up to our room."

The fucking audacity! She made him so, _so_ angry! "Fuck you!" she told him as he put her hand to her chest, feeling an anxiety attack triggering as she tried to calm her breathing.

"Whoa…are you okay?" Yamcha asked with genuine concern, knowing her anxiety attacks were a serious matter.

"I'm fine!" Bulma dismissed hastily, trying to calm herself as she continued her accusatory gaze at him. "When I said it was over this time, it's _over this time_ , Yamcha! I can't keep going though this with you! I mean it!"

He sighed heavily, running his hand though his hair. "You don't mean that."

"Yes I do!"

"No, you DON'T. If you really meant it, Bulma….if this was really over between us, then you would be crying right now. But you're not." He gave her a pointed look. "Look at you. You never cry! We've been together since we were teenagers, and you don't have a single tear in your eye for us."

"I'm crying! See?!" she insisted, pointing at her eyes. She didn't miss the knowing look on his face. _Okay, so maybe I'm not crying. Fucking asshole._ "What does that even matter! You know I never cry about anything!"

"Exactly! If our relationship meant that much to you, _if I meant that much to you,_ then you would be crying right now. But you're not. And I'm not in tears either, so let's just call this for what it is, and move on, okay?"

The truth hurt, but she knew he was right. The love between them had faded over the years, and what they once used to be had been lost somewhere, mixed between who they once were and who they were now. She sighed with difficulty, rubbing her chest for a moment as the ache within began to fade. "Just…can you just tell me if you slept with her? I just need to know. No crying, no screaming, no fighting…just tell me the truth, Yamcha, please. Did you sleep with her?"

He took on a look of serious contemplation, looking away at nothing for a moment before sighing heavily. "Yes."

She knew it. Of course she knew it, but she didn't _want_ to know it. She shrieked in frustration. " _I fucking knew it!_ I never want to see you again, Yamcha! **IT'S OVER!"** In a whirl, she turned around and began storming back into her home.

"Hey, what the hell! You said no screaming!" he called out after her. "C'mon Bulma, talk to me! I'm sorry….it won't happen again!" He watched her stop cold in her tracks and turn around, stomping back over to him.

"You're right, it won't EVER happen again!" she proclaimed as she threw back her right arm, made a strong fist, and swung hard, punching Yamcha square on the nose. He recoiled in pain and shock, clutching at his face in disbelief as Bulma backed away, shaking her hand out in pain, not having expected her hand to hurt also when she only intended to hurt his face. She growled in frustration as she went back inside her home, slamming the door forever in his face.

"Ugh, I can't BELIEVE him!" Bulma cried out in a fit, still shaking her hand out from her killer punch. She paced back and forth a frenzy. _Oh my god, I can't believe it! How could he?! HOW COULD HE?! All these years, and for what? For nothing!_ She went into the living room, seeing the beautiful Christmas tree and all the presents underneath. _Fucking idiot, now he's not getting any of these! If he had any brains he would have waited for all of this to happen AFTER Christmas! What am I going to tell everyone?! I can't believe I'm going to be single for Christmas and New Years! God, I'm such a loser!_

A gentle hand fell on her shoulder as Bulma began to have another anxiety attack. Startled, she saw it was her assistant. "Gwen, don't scare me like that!"

"I'm sorry, Bulma! Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes, I'll be fine!" she insisted as she rubbed her chest again, trying to get the ache to subside. "I just fucking hate men!"

Gwen gave her a sympathetic look before handing the phone over to her. "This doesn't look like a good time for you, I know, but they need you down at the lab. Your big project hit a glitch."

"Of course.." Bulma muttered as she took the phone, "…nothing can go right today, can it?"

* * *

A string of murmurs and curses could be heard as Bulma found herself waist-deep into the machine; clinking and clanking heard as she fixed it. _Piece of shit machine, giving me so many damn problems, it must be a male too._ She reached for her wrench to torque a bolt, before setting it down and grabbing a razorblade to splice the last few wires together. _I swear I don't even know why I try to save this thing, I should scrap it for metal and build a new one. A better one. Out with the old, in with the new._ She liked this idea of starting anew. It was a concept she could potentially find herself embracing. Grabbing some electrical tape, she wrapped the wires together and soldered them to the electronic control module. _There, that should do it._ She crawled out from the tight space and dusted herself off, closing the hatch door and glancing at her two employees, giving them a confident look. "It should work now, give it a try."

A button was pushed and the whirl and groaning sounds of the machine filled the room again as it came back to life and into production. A sigh of relief was heard from her. "Good job Bulma." Krillin praised, "What would we do without you?"

"Oh I'm sure you could manage." she smiled at the bald-headed monk before looking over at the beautiful, blonde engineer. "It was a relatively simple repair…I thought you would be able to fix something like this, Eighteen?"

"I could have," she deadpanned, "but I thought you needed a break from what was going on outside."

"Oh, you overheard all that?" Bulma tried to lightly laugh off, but the serious looks on their faces made her smile fade. "Sorry. Didn't mean for you guys to hear all that. It's okay, though, really."

"You don't seem okay." Krillin said. "Anything we can do to help you?"

"No! I'm okay, really I am!" Bulma struggled to keep a cheery façade as the tightening in her chest began again. "You know…I think I need a vacation!"

"A vacation?" Eighteen perked an eyebrow in surprise. "Since when do _you_ take a vacation?"

"Never, that's why I should take one!" Bulma reasoned hastily. _Yeah, a long vacation, away from work. And away from Yamcha and all his bullshit. Hell, away from all men and all their bullshit!_ "I think I'm going to shut down Capsule Corp for the holidays too!"

"But Bulma, we have a large order for the military we need to have done by the turn of the year! You can't do that…you'll lose millions of dollars and the defense account…." Krillin reasoned, before receiving a slight slap on his arm by Eighteen.

"That's not helping." she lightly scolded him. "I'm sure we can manage just fine without Bulma at the helm." she said before turning her attention back to her boss. "We are fully capable of finishing the order and tests by January, Bulma. I think you _should_ take a vacation. You need one."

"Oh, I don't know if I should. It would be irresponsible of me to just up and leave right in the middle of our busy season, don't you think?" Bulma mulled over the pros and cons of it all. "Krillin's right…I need to be here in case something goes wrong. If I lose the defense account I'll never hear the end of it from my father or the board."

"Don't listen to Krillin, he's not right half the time, and the other half I just like to make him think he's right." Eighteen encouraged, hiding a sly smile from him as he gave her a hurt look. "I think you should go, Bulma. I am your right-hand woman, am I not?"

"Of course you are, Eighteen."

"Good. You know I can handle things while you're gone. Krillin will do his part also. Now…how long were you thinking of being gone?"

"I was thinking a week or two." Bulma murmured nervously, rubbing her chest again as she tried to curb her anxiety attack.

"Two weeks!" Krillin exclaimed before Eighteen's dainty hand clamped over his mouth, effectively hushing him. She shot him a stern look with those sharp, baby blue eyes of hers before she nodded over at Bulma to continue.

"I always work during the holidays….I think it's not conducive to my health and well-being, don't you think?" Bulma rambled on, pacing back and forth. "I mean, I can take some time off from work, right? It won't be the end of the world! And it's freezing here anyway, I could go somewhere sunny and warm, like to the Bahamas or Maui or something! The beach sounds good, and sunlight will do me some good! I mean, all work and no play makes a girl miserable to be around…"

"I think the beach is a good idea. _Don't you agree_ , Krillin?" Eighteen warned as she removed her hand from his mouth.

He gulped. "Yeah, it's a great idea Bulma."

* * *

Bulma sat reclining back in her large, luxurious executive chair as she stared at her laptop. _I can't believe I'm going to be single during the holidays. Way to go Bulma. The most beautiful woman on the planet with money and power to spare, and I have no one to spoil with tons of gifts for. Or kiss at New Year's. God, I'm so pathetic._ She tried her hardest to get her eyes to tear up. This was a life changing event, wasn't it? She finally ended a relationship with the man she was on-and-off again with for almost a decade. She basically caught him cheating and got him to admit it. And still no tears. _Well damn, maybe I really am a cold-hearted bitch like Yamcha had told me all those times. Whatever, he thinks he knows me, but he doesn't! We're not getting back together like he thinks we will, no matter what! Shit, I can't let my mom know what happened…grandchildren this, and grandchildren that. I'll never hear the end of it._

She stared at her laptop some more. _If I stay here, Yamcha will come around again and I'll probably end up hooking up with him out of sheer loneliness. Not to mention I need to save face at the company Christmas party. If I show up without Yamcha or a date, those catty, gossipy bitches won't forget it._ But…if she was out of town for "some business reason", then she could avoid the whole mess and deal with it later. Maybe. _But where should I go? I'd love to get as far away from Yamcha as possible. That would literally have to be halfway across the world to achieve that!_ Hmm. Her fingertips flew over the keyboard without hesitation as though typing was second nature to her as she found exactly where halfway across the world from her was.

Japan.

Tokyo, maybe? A gorgeous city, bustling with life. She could stay in the swankiest hotel and be treated like a queen if she wanted. She frowned. No. She needed something _different._ She wanted away from crowds, bright lights, and the life she already had. _Maybe somewhere out in the country, where it's quiet and peaceful. Peace. Peace sounds good. Get in touch with my inner soul or whatever._ She looked up 'vacationing in Japan's countryside' and found listings of quaint bed & breakfasts, villages and villas, and found a link that offered house-swapping. Intrigued, she clicked on the link and viewed listings of homes in some of Japan's most beautiful valleys and mountains, all of them offering an authentic living experience.

After spending an hour browsing through the options, she saw an adorable home listed off of Mt. Paozu in the eastern district of Diablo Desert. It was listed as a 2 bedroom, 1 bath humble home in the mountains, away from the big city and centrally located in nature. Quiet. Peaceful. _Sounds like exactly what I need! I'm going to give this lady a call._ Bulma grabbed her phone, and after dialing the international code for Japan, managed to hearing ringing on the other end. Holding her breath in anticipation, she awaited an answer.

"Hello?" a shaky voice met over the line.

"Hello! I was calling about your listing on the house-swapping site. Is your home still available?" Bulma asked, crossing her fingers.

"Yes…yes it is." the voice responded, and Bulma heard her sniffle and clear her throat. "Are you really interested?"

"Very much." Bulma reassured. "My name is Bulma. I was looking for a place just like yours to stay at over the holidays…I need to get away from… where I'm at." She heard the woman give a small chuckle.

"Same here. My name is Chi-Chi. You're welcomed to swap houses with me. I need to get away from….here, also. Do you live nearby? East City or Central City maybe? Or even Satan City?"

"Oh no, not at all. I actually live in the United States." She heard noise on the other end, as though Chi-Chi had fumbled the receiver and dropped it. "Hello?"

"Sorry, I'm here, I just kinda dropped the phone from shock." she said. "Wow, the United States! I've never been there, but I've always wanted to go! Are you really serious about house-swapping with me?"

Bulma reclined back in her chair, propping her legs up on her desk. "You bet. The furthest away I can be from here, the better."

Chi-Chi smiled. "Same here. How soon did you want to swap?"

"Tomorrow." Again, more noise from the other side. "Hello? Chi-Chi?"

"Oops, sorry, dropped the phone again! Tomorrow? Oh my gosh, I'm not sure I can even get a plane ticket that fast!"

Bulma laughed softly. "Don't worry about it, I have transportation available. Give me your address. Get your passport and stuff ready. What are we, 12 hours apart? I'll put in the order to have one of my jets heading your way within the hour…it should be there waiting for you tonight outside your home to pick you up and fly you here to the States. I'll probably leave tomorrow morning after I tie up some loose ends, and I should be in Japan by tomorrow night."

"I can't believe this is real! You must be a millionaire, Bulma!" Chi-Chi gushed, temporarily forgetting her own heartache as she spoke to this charismatic woman.

"You can say that." Bulma chucked, feeling oddly comfortable talking to this stranger from half-way across the world. "You don't have to worry about anything here, you can enjoy my home and drive my cars. I have assistants and employees…they will take good care of you."

"Thank you Bulma, that is extremely kind of you. I feel bad now, my home is very small and humble….not exactly what you're probably used to."

"No, no that's fine, trust me. I need "away" from all of this, and from some people. Your home looks warm and cozy, and the area looks peaceful. I am looking forward to it. By the way….are there any men around where you're at?"

Chi-Chi laughed. "No, none at all. I kinda live in the middle of nowhere. It's a 30 minute drive into the nearest village. And my neighbors are spaced out…a couple of miles between us at best. You won't have to worry about people wandering around outside or bothering you."

"Perfect." Bulma smiled. It did sound perfect…going halfway around the world to get away from Yamcha, work, and everything. This is exactly what she needed. And no men around to bother her!

"By the way…" Chi-Chi asked hesitantly, "…are there lots of men around where you're at?"

"I live in a big city, so I'm sure there are. But my home is big. It's stocked with plenty of food and amenities. You won't have to leave if you don't want to."

"Good. I guess it doesn't really matter either way…I'm not looking for anyone." She didn't know why, but she felt she could talk to Bulma. "I was looking to get away from my province, at the very least…but I am liking the idea of being out of the country and halfway across the world. Man troubles, you know."

"Oh girl, I hear you. Same here. My boyfriend, who I've been off and on with for almost 10 years, cheated on me with a girl from his gym. Found out today. Kicked his ass out once and for all."

"Such a shame." Chi-Chi consoled as she sniffled. "My situation isn't quite the same. I'm in love with a man that barely knows I exist half the time. He promised to marry me someday. Mind you, we've known each other since we were children and he promised to marry me when we were grown up. I bring it up to him, and he brushes it off. And here I am, crying pathetically and still waiting on him."

"Goddamn men." Bulma vented over the phone with Chi-Chi. "I can't imagine how hard that must be for you. You know…I think us swapping homes for the holidays will really do us both some good."

"Yeah, I think it will!" Chi-Chi laughed through her tears. "They say absence makes the heart grow fonder….in my case, I hope it's true. I hope he misses the hell out of me."

Bulma smiled. "I hope he does also, Chi-Chi. And I hope my absence will make my ex regret ever losing me."

And so the two ladies continued to chat for a couple of hours about their troubled love lives, finding comfort and solace within each other about the two men in their lives who did not realize what they were losing.

* * *

Bulma arrived to the small home on Mt. Paozu around sunset. She zipped up her oversized puffer coat and took off her sunglasses to squint at the gorgeous sunset, large and orange as it was sinking into the purple horizon. She grabbed her suitcase and hopped off the jet, giving the tiny home a quick glance-over. _Looks just like it did online, just a lot smaller than I expected._ She waved goodbye to her pilot and walked up to the front door to open it. _Apparently Chi-Chi wasn't joking about being in the middle of nowhere, she didn't even lock her door. I guess she has no fear of random strangers coming into her home._ Bulma shrugged as she walked in and set her suitcase down. _Wow, very small and cozy._

Bulma was pretty sure Chi-Chi's entire home could fit into one of her plane hangars, but she accepted it for what it was. She took off her jacket and adjusted the sleeves of her turtleneck sweater before checking out the tiny kitchen. It was stocked full with tons of dishes and glasses, and a small fridge that was cram-packed with food. She found it a bit odd to have so much food and dishes since Chi-Chi lived by herself, but perhaps she had a big appetite? She went to the living room, seeing simple furniture and a old school tube TV. Very old school. She turned it on and was relieved to see that it was a colored TV. She wasn't sure she could watch TV in black and white.

Chi-Chi's bedroom was a nice size, but her closet left something to be desired. It was tiny, full of her dresses. _What beautiful dresses though! So classy, like something a Japanese princess would wear._ She smiled at the thought before looking around, wondering where to put her stuff at. She had one suitcase but had capsules full of other stuff she brought along. She wasn't sure there was enough room in the little home for all her crap. She checked out the only bathroom in the home, which was so small she doubted that more than one person could be inside of it at a time. There was no shower, just a small tub, and a pipe that came out of the wall for the water. She hoped it was attached to a heater…but seeing a fire pit underneath the tub her hopes were squelched. She let out a breathy sigh. Oh well, she was here! It was a long flight, but worth it. Here she was, halfway around the world!

Half the planet away from Yamcha. That in itself was a win!

Bulma plopped herself down on the couch and took it all in. Quiet. So much quietness. She drummed her fingertips on the armrest. What now? She reached in her pocket to get her cell phone out and check for any new messages or email, but she had no signal. Crap. _Oh my god, I can't survive without internet access! C'mon, stupid phone, work!_ After a few attempts to find a signal, she realized it was useless. This was going to be a long vacation, and she was starting to feel a slight twinge of regret. Maybe it wasn't going to be as wonderful as she thought it was going to be. _Damn, I should have gone to the Bahamas. Bet they have internet access there. And hot waiters to bring me margaritas while I lay out on the beach and tan. No, bad Bulma! No thinking about men! Ugh, I need a drink._

She searched Chi-Chi's cupboards and pantry for alcohol, and found none. _None! Are you serious Chi-Chi?! I drank two bottles of wine yesterday while talking with you about our man problems, and you don't have a single drop of alcohol in your own home?! I'm definitely going to have to talk to you about this! Well, she said the nearest village is half an hour away. There should be a store there that sells alcohol, right?_

Of course, Bulma had left her coat behind, so she was freezing on the drive to the small village. The heater in Chi-Chi's car didn't seem to be heating as well as it should have been, and Bulma set a mental reminder to take a look under the hood and see what she could do about another day. Chi-Chi was correct though, about half an hour after following the road, she came upon a decent sized village, bustling with people and beautiful colored lights and warmth emanating from the windows of the buildings. She took the first available parking spot and clutched her purse close to her as she hurriedly glanced into the windows, trying to find what resembled a grocery store as she was freezing her ass off.

She found the local general store and entered with a gush of cold wind and snowflakes but luckily only a couple of other people were inside the quaint store and paid no mind to her. Brushing the light snow off her shoulders and hair, she grabbed a small cart and began walking through the isles, grabbing random snacks until she came upon an isle filled with bottles of wine and alcohol. _Jackpot,_ she giggled as she grabbed a bottle of red wine and a wine opener hanging from the end cap of an aisle. She opened the bottle of wine took a few large swigs from it as she threw the wine opener in her cart. She was having a damn good time, drinking from her wine bottle and cruising the aisle, grabbing random bottles of alcohol that looked good to her and putting them in her cart. She even threw in a handful of bottles of sake for good measure! After filling her cart up with alcohol and snacks she began to checkout, still drinking from her wine bottle. "Looks like someone is having quite the party! What's the occasion?" the friendly cashier asked her.

Bulma shrugged as she took another drink of her wine. "I'm finally free." she answered brightly as she held the wine bottle up for the cashier to scan the barcode. "And it's the holidays! What better way to celebrate than to drink the night away!"

The cashier laughed. "I like how you think. Will this be it?"

"Yeah, I think this should hold me over for a few days. What's the damage?"

"1,900 zeni."

Bulma's eyes widened. "Whoa. What's that in U.S. dollars?"

"Oh, I'm not sure…" the cashier pondered as she looked in her drawer for a calculator, "…but I can try to check. Let's see here….the chart says it's almost 6 to 1...so that's about $300."

"Oh, that's not as bad as it sounded. You take Visa, right?"

"We do."

"Good thing I have this." Bulma said in relief as she took out a different card and handed it over. Rarely did anything escape her, so converting some of her wealth over to zeni for her trip was the type of forward thinking she prided herself in. Besides, what if she'd end up wanting to buy a summer home in Japan?!

* * *

 _Is it bad that I'm spending the night drinking by myself? Does that make me an alcoholic? No…it doesn't! I don't do this all the time. Just sometimes. Only when Yamcha stresses me the fuck out! Whatever, fuck him! I can drink and have a good time without him! And I AM having a good time without him!_ Bulma wasn't sure why she was trying to convince herself of that, but hey, it was working. She lounged on the couch, looking around at the empty bottles she had already gone though that night. The place looked a little messy, what with the empty chip bags and candy wrappers lying around. She would clean it tomorrow. She finished off the last of the wine in the bottle and stood up. _Whoa…either the room is tipping, or it's me. Yeah….it's me. Sounds like I need another drink!_

Bulma managed her way back into the kitchen and opened the fridge, grabbing a bottle of sake that she had crammed in there. _Oh, sake! And not just any sake, authentic sake from another part of the world! I don't think I'll ever get over the fact that I'm half way around the world from everyone. I love this! Just wish it wasn't so cold in here._ She involuntarily shivered at that though as she walked her bottle of sake down the hallway to the linen closet, looking for some thick, warm blankets. _Ah hah! Here we are. I bet a fire would help warm this place up too._ She tossed firewood into the fireplace and grabbed the igniter, struggling a few times to get it to work before the wood began to catch the fire. Satisfied, she plopped back down on the couch and through hazy eyes tried to see how exactly to open this bottle of sake. _Ugh, it has a cork also. Why do I keep picking drinks with corks in them? So annoying. Where's the corkscrew? Shit, I left it in the bedroom._

Bulma wrapped the blanket around her and took her bottle of sake with her to the bedroom. She sat down on the comfy bed and sighed heavily. She was definitely feeling a little drunk. But who cared? She had no work tomorrow. She didn't have to go anywhere. She could suffer a hangover all day tomorrow if she wanted, as long as she was feeling good tonight. She managed to open the bottle of sake and took a tentative sip, enjoying the sweetness. She glanced at the bottle…it was plum flavored. _I think this might be my new favorite._ She took another gulp. It was too good for it's own good. She glanced over at the clock on the wall, seeing it was almost 2 in the morning. _This jet lag is fucking me up. I'm not even tired! It's like 2 in the afternoon back home. How the hell am I going to sleep tonight?_ She placed the bottle on the nightstand and decided to lay down against the headboard. Looking around, she found a book nearby and picked it up. _Huh…I never have time to read books, but I've been wanting to. Maybe now is a good time. Chi-Chi does seem to have a lot of books around. I wonder what she's into. If anything, reading might help me get to sleep._

Bulma had been about a quarter of the way into her book as she happily sipped on her sake before she heard a loud, strong thump against the front door. It had startled her for a moment, but in her somewhat drunken state she was feeling braver than usual, so she placed the book down and grabbed her bottle. She would smash it over someone's head if she had to, although it would be such a shame to waste all that deliciousness. As she made her way to the front door, she heard loud knocking and a muffled male voice on the other side.

"Chi-Chi! Open the damn door! Why the hell is it even locked?!"

"Who are you?" Bulma asked loudly, sternness in her voice as she placed her hand on the doorknob and lifted her bottle, ready to bash someone's head in.

"Are you fucking serious?! It's me! Knock your shit off and open the damn door!"

 _Whoever he is, he used Chi-Chi's name and knows she lives here. He must know her._ Bulma reasoned as she flipped the porch light on and opened the door, only to come face to face with a strikingly handsome man. Honestly, she had been completely caught off guard…and by the look on his face, apparently so had he.

"Who the hell are you?!" he demanded, his arms crossed as he shivered slightly in the freezing cold night. "And where is my sister?"

"Your sister?" Bulma questioned in surprise. "Chi-Chi didn't tell me she had a brother."

"And she didn't tell me there would be some strange woman in her house." he said moodily, unsure of what the hell was going on. "Are you going to let me inside or not? I need to take a piss."

"Oh shit, um, yeah, sure…" Bulma stumbled over her words as the man then rushed inside, down the hallway to the bathroom. It reassured her he had been there before if he already knew where it was. She glanced at her bottle and lowered it to her side, confused on why he was here at almost 3 in the morning. Maybe he lived here? She closed the door, not knowing what else to do as she stood by the fire, waiting for the man to come back out.

After a few minutes he appeared again, a stern look across his face as he studied her. For whatever reason, Bulma began to feel a little self-conscious. _Do I look alright? I hope my hair isn't a mess. Is my sweater dirty? Did I spill alcohol on it? I probably look terrible! Fuck you jet lag, I probably have dark circles under my eyes! Oh jeez, the house is a mess too….now he's going to think I'm a slob for sure!_ "

"Who are you?" he asked again.

 _Damn, he's got a sexy voice though. And the porch light did him no justice, because he's pretty hot. So much for no men being around here, Chi-Chi!_ "I'm sorry, your sister isn't here. My name's Bulma. Her and I switched houses for the holidays."

He brought his hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly unhappy about this revelation. "Well, _where_ is she?"

"Back at my home, in the United States." Bulma answered as she decided this conversation required her to take another drink from her bottle.

"The United States?! What the…." he trailed off, shaking his head as if it no longer mattered. "How long are you going to be here?"

"Until after Christmas. And now that I know you're Chi-Chi's brother…what's your name?"

"Vegeta." he answered simply as he glanced around, curious about all the alcohol bottles lying around. They definitely didn't belong to his sister, she was a straight-edge, so they must be Bulma's. He walked up to her and saw her tense up a bit at his closeness. He moved past her and picked up more firewood and threw it into the fireplace, causing the fire to crackle and pop from the fresh fuel. He moved back in front of her and reached down, their hands lightly brushing against each other. "Do you mind?" he asked as he grabbed the bottle of sake from her hand. He had stopped drinking at the bar a short while ago, but if this woman was up at this time of night drinking, he knew he was with good company.

"Not at all." Bulma said, "Least I could do is offer you a drink. I'll get you a glass…" she trailed off before watching Vegeta give her an amused smirk before taking a large swig from her bottle of sake. Something about the way he drank it that just screamed sexy. _Kami, what is wrong with you, Bulma? Must be all the alcohol. But holy hell, this guy is handsome as fuck._ "Well, it's a good thing I bought more." she quipped as moved past him and into the kitchen so she could breathe. Oh, and get the other bottle of plum sake, of course.

Vegeta enjoyed the view as he watched her walk into the kitchen. At least his sister didn't trade houses with an ugly person. This woman was surprisingly gorgeous. Right away he noticed she was light skinned. He surmised that she must rarely go outside or spend time in the sun. Her hair was an amazing shade of blue, with crisp, sharp eyes that matched. He wasn't sure he'd seen anything quite like it. She definitely didn't look like any of the women around these parts, and that intrigued him. He sauntered over to the kitchen and leaned against the doorway. "Didn't meant to scare you earlier if I did. My sister leaves the door open for me when I stay out late and have a few drinks on the weekend sometimes. She bitches at me about driving home, so I crash here for the night."

Bulma found her bottle of sake and turned around, giving him a sly smile. "You didn't scare me, just wasn't expecting anyone. I was ready to slam that bottle you're holding right over your head if you had tried anything."

Vegeta shrugged nonchalantly as he took another drink from the bottle. "Good to know. I'll be sure to remember that if I try something on you."

Bulma felt the heat rush to her cheeks at his ballsy comment, unsure if he meant what he said. Her head was a little fuzzy from all her drinking, and apparently he had spent the night drinking also, so it was hard to judge exactly what was going on. "Well, I'd hate to waste this sake, wouldn't you agree?"

"Agreed." he said, his dark, gorgeous eyes locked onto hers for a moment before moving away from the doorway and sitting down on a couch. He watched as Bulma came into the living room also, taking a seat on the smaller couch adjacent to his. He took off his jacket, feeling like it was suffocating him. He looked over at Bulma and saw the appreciation in her eyes as they fell upon his physique. It stoked his ego a bit; he worked out extremely hard to be as strong and in-shape as he was, and it felt good when a woman noticed. He ran a hand though his black flame of hair as he sat back, bottle in hand. "I don't have to stay here tonight if you uncomfortable with it. I am capable of driving home just fine."

Bulma had believed she had seen some attractive men in her life, but Vegeta was quickly proving to take the cake. _I feel like I'm a teenager again. What a body! Am I being shallow? But goddamn, he's built like a Grecian Adonis!_ She wasn't sure when the last time it was that she felt so nervous around a man. He was so exotic looking, unlike the men back home. _Smooth, tanned skin, hard-earned muscles, and the darkest shade of hair and eyes that I've ever seen. You could have told me you had a gorgeous brother, Chi-Chi! Oh shit, wait, what did he say?!_ "No, it's okay, you can stay here. I don't mind. Besides, if something happened to you because I didn't let you stay here, I'm sure your sister would kill me."

"Tch." Vegeta mumbled as he took another drink of the sake. The woman was right, this would be a shame to waste. "I'll be fine, but since you don't mind me staying the night, I wouldn't want to disappoint you by leaving."

"I appreciate that." Bulma smirked at him and his attempts of flirtation as she went to drink from her bottle, only to realize again that she left the corkscrew in the bedroom. "Ugh, I keep doing that." she frowned to herself as she stood up from the couch a little too fast, taking a moment to gather her bearings as she felt the floor sway a little underneath her. "I'll be right back."

"What's the matter?" Vegeta asked, seeing her a bit unsteady on her feet.

"Forgot the damn corkscrew in the bedroom." she told him as she headed that way. She found it on the nightstand and made her way out the bedroom and down the hallway, only to turn the corner into the living room and bump right into Vegeta. She felt his strong hands around her waist steadying her to keep her from falling. "Shit, sorry…wasn't looking where I was going…" she murmured as she looked at him apologetically.

"It's fine." he said, amused. "I noticed you protected the bottle of sake more than your own safety." Bulma's smile for him was striking and he found himself irrevocably drawn to her.

"You know, this might be considered tying something on me." she mused as she looked down, Vegeta's hands still on her waist. _What am I doing?! Wait, what his HE doing? What am I LETTING him do?!_

"Perhaps. You're not going to smash the bottle over my head, are you? As you said…" he began, nodding his chin towards the sake in her hand, "…it would be a shame to waste it." he flirted, moving closer to her.

A nervous energy enveloped her as he closed in. "I _might_ reconsider, only if you help me drink it. It would make less of a mess." she offered first. Vegeta's answer came in the form of a very warm, lingering kiss on her lips. After a moment, he broke the kiss, giving her an unsure look, trying to gauge what just happened and what the hell just got into him. "I…um…" she stumbled over her words for a second. trying to grasp the fact that she just kissed a complete stranger after only meeting him moments ago.

"Deal." he murmured, his eyes hazy with desire as he somehow managed to pull away from her, making her his hands linger over hers for a moment before taking the bottle of sake and corkscrew away from her. He set the bottle down and jammed the corkscrew into it, easily popping the bottle open. He contemplated grabbing them both a pair of glasses to pour the sake in, but Bulma had the answer to that as she reached around him and took the bottle. She smiled at him as she took the first drink from it and walked over near the fireplace to get some warmth. Like a moth to the flame, Vegeta followed her. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the cold. Maybe it was the loneliness. Whatever it was, it made him reach out around her waist and bring her up against him again. They both were breathing a little harder, the closeness making their hearts beat faster. He leaned in again to steal another kiss, his lips hovering above hers when she leaned in to complete it.

After pulling away from each other, something had changed. Feeling extremely brave, Bulma took another drink from the bottle before Vegeta took it from her, taking a large swig himself. He set it down on the mantle and wrapped his arms around her again, giving her a kiss that was much more passionate this time. Bulma couldn't really think much at the moment as she lost herself in the sensations. She could feel heat radiating off of him; it was comforting and addictive. His kiss was just as warm and mixed with the taste of him and plum. She placed her hands on the sides of his face, cradling him as they kissed before running her hands though his hair. She heard him murmur in pleasure and it triggered a deep-seeded desire within her. She somehow found the willpower to break their make-out session. "Vegeta, wait. I'm sorry, I'm not sure what I'm doing. I don't usually do things like this!"

Vegeta was half-way snapped out of his drunk-filled, lust-filled haze as he gave her a concerned look. "We've both been drinking, but I don't want you to do something that you do not want to do."

"No, it's just….I'm sorry. This is all so sudden! This isn't something I normally do…at all! I've just met you, and I'm in a completely different country half way across the world from my home and I think you're unbelievably hot and I can't believe this is happening right now…" she rambled on, feeling stupid about everything before Vegeta silenced her with another kiss.

"Look, I think you're hot as hell also, and I'd like to see where this goes, but if you're having doubts, then it might be a good idea for both of us to stop and call it a night."

"But…I don't want this to end." she ended up admitting. "I'm sorry, I'm just a mess. I haven't been able to sleep because I'm 12 hours ahead, and I just got out of a rocky relationship and haven't been with anyone else for a long time and I just think that considering the fact that I'll only be here for like a week and I'll be heading home I don't want either one of us to get attached or anything…but I think we should have sex. What do you think?"

Vegeta had to shake his head suddenly, having been unprepared to have heard all of this from her. He gave her an amused look. "Is that a serious question?"

Bulma gave him a nod. "Yes."

"Of course I think we should have sex."

"Okay, that's what I think too. Plus I'm kinda nervous because I've never had a one night stand before…or many partners, now that I think of it, and I'm worried I won't be any good in bed, because I've been told that before….and I don't want to disappoint you….but then again we probably won't see each other again after tonight…"

Vegeta smirked as he placed his finger over her lips, hushing her. "I have to say, you're probably the most interesting woman I've come across in a long time." his chuckle was absolutely charming; it made her smile and relax a bit. "And I do think you're over thinking this _way_ too much. And I'm sure you'll be just fine in bed…after all, you're a good kisser. But then again, the only way I will know for sure is if we do sleep together."

"Yeah, okay…." Bulma breathed in relief as she wrapped her arms around Vegeta's neck and kissed him hard. She felt him encircle his own arms around her to lift her up to carry her to the bedroom. She giggled in delight as she kissed him. No one's ever picked her up like that before. She wrapped her legs around his waist. "Hey…can't forget…the sake…" she said between kisses. He felt his smile against her lips as she reached out and grabbed the bottle from the mantle. Before she knew it, he gently sat her down on the bed and stood in front of her, the evidence of his arousal poking through his pants as he pulled his shirt over his head. _Fucking hell, he's too goddamn hot._ she remembered thinking to herself as she set the bottle down on the nightstand, enjoying the strip tease show he was giving her. Feeling extremely brave and sexy, she pulled her turtleneck sweater over her head, revealing her ample chest before standing up and shimmying out of her pants to reveal her sexy thong.

A growl of desire came from his chest as he viewed her body. She was fucking beautiful. What had he done to deserve someone like her for the night? He was looking forward to exploring her, starting off by freeing her breasts from their confinement and giving them the much needed attention they deserved. He unbuckled his belt and took off his pants, watching as she provocatively got under the covers and held them open for him to join her. "How could I ever turn down such an offer?" he asked, his voice rough from desire as he crawled into the bed with her, mounting her and setting himself between her legs, kissing her passionately all the while.

"Wow, you're so hot." she gasped in surprise as his body heat was deliciously warm against her. She ran cold all the time and had to always have jackets, sweaters, blankets, and coats on before most people during winter. God, he felt so good. It was like he was a walking heater.

"Why, thank you." he said smugly, giving her a flirtatious smirk, a low chuckle escaping him as he saw Bulma roll her eyes.

"I mean your body heat, Vegeta. I'm always cold. But yes, you're hot that way also." she mused, trying to have him touch and cover her body as much as possible, because it was damn cold in the room and he felt much too good on her.

"Well then, let me warm you up." he said dangerously sexy as he kissed her hard, reaching one hand down to tug at her hip-string from her thong before cradling her perfect ass in his palm and giving it a generous squeeze. Bulma emitted a whimper of pleasure and it only served to fuel his desire for her and encourage him to ravish her.

Perhaps his drunken state inhibited his normally on-par senses, for he realized he was inexplicably drawn to her from the moment he saw her…but during their night together he was failing to catch himself becoming addicted to her.

* * *

Bulma sighed as she stared at the coffee pot, waiting for it to finish brewing _. Ugh, headaches suck. This coffee better help curb this hangover. Kinda surprised I'm not in as bad a shape as I'd thought I'd be, considering how much I drank last night. Even more when Vegeta came around._ A mischievous smile graced her lips as she thought of him. _What a hell of a one-night stand he was_. She couldn't remember ever feeling so physically desired by a man like she had with Vegeta. In all fairness, she couldn't remember ever being so open and free with a partner before either. She knew it was a mix of alcohol, along with the excitement of being somewhere foreign and doing something completely out of character. Surprisingly she didn't feel ashamed of herself for having sex with a complete stranger within an hour of meeting him…but goddamn, he was irresistible.

She heard the front door open and close and she turned around in time to see Vegeta walk in, shivering a bit from the cold. She was surprised to see him; she had woken up that morning and he had been no where to be found. She hadn't been hurt by it at all since they had agreed their night together was no-strings-attached…but she hadn't expected him to walk through the door again. They looked at each other a bit awkwardly for a moment. "Hey…." she offered him a warm greeting.

"Morning." he said as he adjusted his white gloves over his hands and brushed a bit of snow from his hair. "Didn't expect you to be awake already."

Bulma smiled. "I'm immune to hangovers." she joked as she gestured to the pot of coffee that finished brewing. "Want some coffee?"

"I'll take a cup." he accepted as he walked up to her, giving her a tender look as he reached above her, grabbing a cup for himself and her. Even after a wild night and sobering up, she still looked as lovely as he first thought. He let their closeness linger for a moment before reaching over, grabbing the coffee pot and pouring them each a cup.

"What are you still doing around here?" Bulma blurted out of sheer curiosity. Not that she didn't want him around, but she thought he'd be at his own home by now, to never see each other again. She accepted the cup he poured her as she searched for the sugar.

"Making sure you were okay." he said simply as he opened up a cabinet, knowing exactly where to find the sugar and handed it over to her.

"I'm good." she affirmed as she prepared her coffee, noticing Vegeta was drinking his straight black. "I had a good time last night." she reassured him, wondering if he was having any misgivings about what happened between them. He nodded, but she could tell there was something else he wanted to say.

"Listen, about last night…" Vegeta began.

Bulma smiled as she interrupted him. "I know Vegeta…it was a one-time thing. No strings attached, right? Don't worry, you're off the hook. Trust me, I'm perfectly okay with what happened. Really, I am! You have nothing to worry about with me."

"Alright, I guess we're good then." he accepted as he took a few sips from his coffee as they stood together in an awkward silence. "So, how long were you going to be here again?"

"I was thinking of leaving back home tonight, actually." she confessed out of nowhere, surprising herself and him in the process. She saw the look on his face. "Oh, it's not because of what happened last night. I just woke up this morning and got to thinking. I have _a lot_ of work I left unfinished at my job. I've never been away from home during the holidays…and I'm not sure I want to spend the holidays alone, you know? Plus I'm freezing in this house. Not sure how much longer I can take it before I end up getting sick."

There was a mixed look upon Vegeta's handsome face as he mulled over her words. "Coming halfway across the world to only turn right back around a day later sounds like a waste." he moved over to her, standing intimately close in front of her as he looked into those oceanic blue eyes of hers. "Shame. I was going to invite you to a dinner party I was going to tonight. Thought you might like to go."

Those onyx eyes of his captivated her and held her in place, his body warmth calling out to her, making her want to feel his bare skin against hers again. "Yeah, that's too bad. Sounds like a good time."

"It would have been." he said, realizing he needed to step back from her before he made a move that might not be as welcomed by her anymore. Taking his own advice he stepped back and finished off the rest of his coffee. "I better take off. I have a few things I need to do before tonight. If you change your mind, the dinner party starts at 7. It is at Kame House, on Turtle Island. About an hour west of here."

"Thanks, but I'll be back home by then." Bulma said, giving him an apologetic smile.

"Right." Vegeta said, hiding is disappointment as he placed the cup in the sink before walking over and leaning in, giving Bulma an affectionate kiss on her cheek. He knew he caught her off-guard and he gave her sly smirk. "I still think you're an enigma, Bulma." and with that, he walked out of the house, leaving her torn between staying here and seeing Vegeta again, or heading back home.

* * *

Vegeta could hear the sounds of talk and laughter from Kame House, the lights and warmth within shining through the windows as he walked through the sand. The house was fully decked out in Christmas decorations and lights, all the way up to the palm trees and he shook his head, wondering how long it must have taken them to climb all the way up there and string the lights upon it. He opened the door and was greeted by warm cheers. The home was bustling full of life; the whole gang was there he noticed, except for Goku. Honestly after all the shit Goku had been putting his sister though, he was glad he wasn't there tonight. He'd hate to spoil the festivities by starting a brawl with him, even though he deserved a good ass kicking. Vegeta took off his coat and hung it on the rack before taking off his gloves and putting them in the pockets.

"Oh Vegeta, it's so good to see you!" a cheery voice greeted him before he got a warm hug from a cute blonde.

"Good to see you, Launch." he said as he looked around for Tienshinhan. "Here with Tien?"

A blush graced her cheeks. "Yeah, we've been talking again. He told me about tonight and invited me. I couldn't miss out on this. It's so rare when we all get to be together!"

"Agreed." Vegeta said as he nonchalantly looked around for a particular blue-haired woman.

"Hey Vegeta! Good to see you. Where's Chi-Chi?" Raditz said as he held out his hand for Vegeta to shake, which he accepted. "I thought she'd be coming along with you?"

"She's out the country. Long story. Your idiot brother isn't coming tonight, is he?" Vegeta asked testily.

"No, he's busy training for the World Tournament, like always. I told him he could come since we haven't seen him in awhile. I think he was going to, because you know he can't turn down free food, but when I told him that _you_ were going to be here also, he decided his training was more important."

"Tch. Figures. Surprised he has any brains in that head of his at all." Vegeta said, glad that Goku wasn't going to make an appearance tonight. That itself made him relax some.

"Vegeta! Wasn't sure if you were going to show up or not!" a tall, burly man greeted him with a strong pat on his shoulder.

"Nappa, are you already drunk?"

"No way, I'm just getting started! Here, start drinking up buddy, you need to catch up to me!" he laughed as he handed Vegeta a beer. "By the way, she's quite the looker!"

"Who?" Vegeta asked as he began drinking from his beer.

"Her, right over there…" Nappa said, pointing toward the hallway as Bulma emerged from it, all smiles, looking like she was being shown around the home by Master Roshi.

Vegeta nearly choked on his beer when he saw her. His night just got infinitely better. He couldn't deny the tightening in his chest that he felt as he walked up to her, catching her attention. "Thought you would be home by now?"

"Change of plans." she said slyly as she stepped up next to him and clinked her wine glass with his beer bottle. "Good evening, Vegeta."

"Evening, Bulma." he mused as he did a once-over on her. God, she was absolutely stunning. She looked just as good with clothes on as she did with her clothes off. He smirked at his thoughts. "You're looking lovely, tonight."

"You're not looking too bad, yourself." Bulma complimented back, loving how good he looked in dress pants and a button-up long sleeved dress shirt. _He makes everything look good, doesn't he?_ "This is a nice dinner party so far. Master Roshi has been kind enough to give me a personal tour of his home also."

"Oh, he did, did he?" Vegeta perked up curiously as he gave his old sensei a knowing look. "I trust this was a respectable tour, correct?"

Master Roshi laughed nervously. "Yes, Vegeta, of course! After all, she mentioned _you_ had invited her here…"

"Wise decision." Vegeta affirmed as he offered his arm to Bulma, which she gladly accepted. "Come on, let's have a seat."

She smiled warmly at him as he guided her though the living room and they took a seat at the window bay. "This is a very nice party, Vegeta. Most dinner parties I go to are so dull and prim and proper…not much fun at all, honestly. But this…this is _wonderful_." She gushed, genuine happiness radiating from her. "So much warmth and laughter here. Everyone seems to be having a good time. I hope it's okay that I brought a gift for the host. I wasn't exactly sure what the customs are around here." she laughed softly as she looked down at her feet, wiggling her toes inside her pantyhose, learning that everyone took off their shoes before entering the home, and she had followed suit.

He smiled as she showed him her pantyhose-clad legs and feet. "Oh shit, I forgot." he said as he set his beer down and went to take off his black boots, wondering why he forgot. "What kind of gift did you bring?"

Bulma brought the rim of her wine glass up to her lips before giving him a sultry smile. "A bottle of plum sake."

He shot her a sexy smile as he moved his boots aside. "I heard sake can get people in trouble."

"Oh, I don't know about that." she mused as she sipped from her red wine. "I just heard it can lead to a good time."

"Well then, here's to a good time tonight." Vegeta offered as he held his beer bottle up to her, and she held her wine glass up to him.

"Dinner's ready!" Launch called out happily as a collective cheer was heard, and Vegeta stood up and offered his hand to Bulma. Together they walked to the table, sitting side by side as they spent the night laughing and conversing with each other and the others, sharing food and drinks and stories, getting to know each other and everyone else. She couldn't have asked for a better time.

Vegeta had made all the difference. The party had been nice before he showed up, but after he arrived she found herself drawn to him and not wanting to leave his side. With him, it was one of the best times she's ever had. He was so intelligent and had a sense of humor that she could appreciate. There was a certain charm about him, mixed with seriousness that made him mysterious and intriguing. Throughout the night, the more glimpses she saw who he was, the more she desired to know him.

Vegeta had felt confusingly disappointed throughout the day that he would not see Bulma again…but seeing her at the party when he wasn't expecting her had solidified the fact that he was somehow getting attached. He felt oddly comfortable with her, and throughout the night he enjoyed her company, her warm touches and her playful nudges on his arm. Her laughter was lovely and contagious. She was intelligent, beautiful, and full of life, and it made him desire to know this woman more.

* * *

"Fucking hell, it's cold." Bulma complained as she shivered, before Vegeta unzipped his jacket and bought her flush against him, zipping it back up behind her.

"I think you forgot your coat inside on purpose just so you could cuddle up to me." he playfully accused as he held her. She wasn't joking though, it was freezing cold outside as they stood under a colorfully-lit palm tree, looking at the black ocean and the dark, starry night sky from the tiny island they were on.

"Why are we even out here? It's so warm inside. Although you're pretty warm also." she cooed as she pressed herself against him more, enjoying the heat radiating from his body.

"Because I was fucking dying inside of there. Too damn hot and stuffy." he answered. "You can go back inside, you know."

"No way, you have to keep me warm now." she laughed softly as she kissed his cheek. "How are you so damn hot? Must be all the alcohol you've been drinking."

"I naturally run warm." he answered as he leaned in and kissed her. "And you've been drinking more than I have been."

"No…" she murmured as she kissed him, his mouth as addictive as his warmth, "…not true." she protested as she reached down behind him and untucked his dress shirt, reaching underneath it to place her hands on his bare back.

"Yes, true." he said between kisses, feeling her hands on his back and tempted to try to bring his arms inside his jacket so he could put his hands on her body also. "You better stop that. Don't start something if you're not going to finish it."

"Is that a threat?" Bulma laughed as she brought her hands down further and tugged at his waistband, "Because I don't back down from a challenge."

"Neither do I." Vegeta purred as he somehow managed to pull his arms inside his jacket. He pulled up her dress so he could reach underneath it.

"Vegeta! It's cold!" she exclaimed as he brought her dress up, holding her legs together now that they were exposed to the outside air.

"I warned you to stop." his sexy laugh irresistible as he brought her dress up and put his hands on her hips, tugging at her underwear. He kissed her with more determination this time, his desire for her growing unbearable as he fondled her, wanting nothing more at that moment than to be in bed with her again, between her legs and inside of her, as close to her as physically possible.

"Vegeta…" she breathed, his arousal poking her thigh as she brought her hand over it, rubbing him through his pants. "Let's go back to your place…"

"Yours is closer." he murmured against her lips. "Let's go, before I lose control and take you right here on the beach."

"Hmm…kinky." Bulma giggled as she kissed him hard, feeling him push his arms through his jacket and unzip it, freeing her from his warm and sexy confinement. She hurriedly pulled down her dress before feeling Vegeta cover her with his jacket to make sure she was warm.

* * *

Vegeta attempted to control his breathing as he panted hard, his sweat mixed with hers as he gave her a gentle kiss. He closed his eyes, an almost pained look on his face as she ran her hands over his shoulders, along his neck and through his hair. He opened his eyes and gazed down at her, seeing her skin hot and flushed, her pink lips swollen and panting also. He carefully leaned some of his weight on her, staying inside of her as they both came down from their heights of ecstasy. He buried his face in the crook of her neck as he tried to calm down, his body still reeling from the most powerful orgasm he's ever had.

"That was amazing." Bulma breathed in awe. They had gotten back to the house and from the moment they walked through the door, they had been insatiable for each other. She wasn't sure about Vegeta, but she personally felt that there was no getting enough of him. "I thought our romp last night was the best sex I've ever had, but you proved me wrong again tonight."

"Glad I've outdone myself then." he purred affectionately against her neck as he kissed it, loving how she tasted, inside and out. "And for the record, you are incredible in bed yourself."

"I try." she said cheekily, kissing him. "So much for us having only a one night stand, huh?"

"Yeah," he admitted in defeat as he rolled over to his side, bringing her along as he held her against him. It disturbed him that he found himself so drawn to her after only knowing her for such a short time, but couldn't find an explanation for it. "I'm assuming it is okay for me to stop by and visit you while you're here, then?"

Bulma nodded as she hugged him and held him. "Yeah, for few more days at least. I'll be leaving a little after Christmas. Speaking of….what are you doing tomorrow?"

"I go back to work. All this week." he breathed a heavy sigh, tightening his arm around her.

"Oh. Even on Christmas Eve?"

"Yes."

"What? And Christmas?"

"On Christmas too." Vegeta deadpanned.

"What, you have to work on Christmas _too_? That sucks!" Bulma said as she pulled away from him a bit and propped her elbow up, leaning her head against her hand, giving him a sympathetic look.

"I said that I would, since I did not have any plans this week. I wasn't expecting you to come along." Vegeta admitted as he gave her a meaningful look.

Bulma smiled at him, giving him an affectionate kiss, letting it linger for a moment. "I don't know what we're doing Vegeta….but I like it."

"I think the alcohol is still talking…" he mused as he lightly ran his hand alongside her arm, "…but I am enjoying this also."

She lied back down and snuggled against him. She closed her eyes, feeling unbelievably happy his arms. _On a whim I flew halfway across the world to escape my life, to find some quiet and peace…only to have found it with him._ An ache pulsed in her chest, and she reached up and placed her hand over it. "Am I going to get to see you again before I leave?"

"When are you leaving back to the States?"

"Day after Christmas, I think."

"I'll be here to see you off." he promised as he kissed her forehead, pulling the sheets and comforter over them a little better before reaching over and turning off the lamp. They both settled comfortably into the bed together as Bulma draped her arm over his stomach and he held her close to him.

This would be the second night they fell asleep together, and the first time they started to fall in love with each other.

* * *

The days passed ever so slowly as Bulma tried to keep herself occupied. She read a few more books, and worked on her cooking skills (or lack thereof), and watched some mindless TV. At first she thought it was horrible to not have internet access, but she found that being away from it wasn't a bad thing. She even went outside into the cold and took a short walk around the wooded area a few times, exploring the beautiful mountainside. She drove into the village each day and picked up items from the general store, and browsed the boutiques and shops, keeping herself entertained by buying beautiful clothing and jewelry and knick knacks that she would take home with her as souvenirs.

But the days went by very lonely, and she had to admit to herself that there was a gap in them that she wanted Vegeta to fill. She laughed half-heartedly, shaking her head at herself. A man she barely knew, who she had a fling with, was already starting to mean more to her than her ex that she had been on and off with for almost a decade. _Mom told me the love of your life could show up at any time and there was nothing you could do about it. That something inside your would let you know that he was the one. I thought that was a load of cheesy, romantic mush, but…_ Bulma caught herself daydreaming about Vegeta again and she snapped out of it. This was just infatuation, right? She was still riding high on the excitement of being in another country and letting herself be a little wild with a guy who was insanely good looking and totally amazing, right? Right? She sighed. It was bittersweet, really…the next time she would see Vegeta again would be the same time she had to say goodbye to him. To leave him and this beautiful area, this beautiful country, and head back to the other side of the world. Back to a life she realized she wasn't deriving much joy from.

 _The irony. I wanted nothing more than to be half the world away from Yamcha, the furthest away from him I could possibly be…and now I'm going to be that far away from Vegeta._ Maybe she didn't have to wait to see him again until the day she left to go back home. She could try to stop by his house and surprise him after he got off of work. After all, this was Christmas! Surely he'd be home tonight, even though it might be late. She could bring over a bottle of sake and some salami with cheese and crackers, and have a nice time with him. Renewed with a sense of happiness and joy to see him again, she started the fire pit and filled up the tub, ready to take a bath and get dolled up before calling Chi-Chi back at her place to see how she was doing and to ask her where her brother lived.

Bulma hugged her coat tighter to herself as her heels clicked on the pavement leading up to Vegeta's door. His house looked dark, save for what looked like a couple of lights on downstairs. Shivering, she pressed the doorbell and excitedly waited for him to open the door. After a moment she rang the bell again, and just a few seconds later the door opened halfway, revealing a surprised looking Vegeta. "Hi!" she greeted him happy, holding up her gift bag to show him. "Surprise! I know you've been working a lot but it's still Christmas and I wanted to see you and bring you some goodies!"

"Bulma…." Vegeta said, somewhat shell-shocked for a moment before snapping out of it. "Hi. Wasn't expecting you here…"

"I know, silly, that's why it's called a _surprise_ …" she laughed as she watched her breath form in the cold air. "Can I come inside? Kinda freezing my ass off here…" she said, making a move to go inside before Vegeta quickly stepped out and kept the door mostly closed behind him.

"Trust me, I'm really happy to see you right now. And thank you for whatever you've brought….but now isn't exactly a good time." he told her honestly as a clatter was heard from inside, and a female voice could be heard saying something.

"Oh, it's not?" Bulma said, confusion starting to take hold when she heard the female voice. Realization hit her, and the look on her face changed. "You…have someone over, don't you?"

Vegeta winced before giving her an apologetic look. "Yes. But it's not what you think, Bulma."

 _How could it not be?_ She told herself. _A gorgeous man like you…of course there are other women interested in you. How could there not be? Or maybe…._ "Vegeta, are you married?!"

"No, I'm not."

"You have a girlfriend?"

Vegeta shook his head. "No."

"Oh." Bulma simply said. _Then it's a booty call. Of course…what did you think it was, Bulma, at this time of night, and on Christmas, no less. It's not like we are dating. I had told him no strings attached. I have to mean it._ She forced herself to put on a bright smile. "I'm so sorry, Vegeta, I didn't mean to come over like this unannounced, it's so rude of me. I didn't mean to interrupt! I'm sorry, I'll go now."

"Bulma…" Vegeta insisted, feeling terrible for how the situation looked, before she interrupted him.

"No, no, it's fine! Really! Here, I just wanted to give you this." she told him as she handed him the gift bag and began to back away. "Merry Christmas. I will….see you later…" she awkwardly trailed off as she turned around to start leaving, before feeling him grab her arm and turn her towards him. The look on his face made her heart ache.

"It's not what you think, Bulma. _She's_ not what you think. In fact she was just leaving…."

She pulled her arm away from his touch. "Vegeta, you don't have to explain anything to me, alright? It's fine. No strings attached, remember? Have a good life." She genuinely meant it. She didn't know how, but she managed to look away from his dark, emotional eyes and turn away from him, holding her coat closer to herself as she got into the car and drove off, leaving Vegeta standing outside his home in the freezing cold, his heart as broken as hers.

* * *

Bulma closed the door behind her, the ache strong in her chest as she felt something akin to an anxiety attack coming on. She then realized she hadn't had an attack in days. What did that mean? Closing her eyes, she willed herself to breathe deeply and lock her emotions away. How silly was she being, feeling betrayed by a man she barely knew, who she had a two night stand with?! _God, I really am pathetic! Chalk this up to being the most humiliating night of my life._ After a few moments, she felt she had a grip back on herself. She started a big fire in the fireplace, intending on sleeping in the living room tonight because she did not feel she could sleep in the bed she had shared with Vegeta. She grabbed the phone and dialed internationally, calling Capsule Corp and requesting her team of pilots to start heading her way. _With any luck, they'll be here late tomorrow morning and I'll be back home tomorrow night. Not sure I can spend another day here anymore._ She inhaled a shaky breath and let it out, glancing around at the small, cozy home. It took her a bit, but the house had grown on her, and she would miss it.

She decided against drinking any alcohol that night, although she was sure no one would blame her if she did. She began gathering her items and packing them inside her capsules before grabbing a pillow and blanket and settling down on the couch. She stared at the flickering flames of the fire, the crackling and the snapping of firewood offering her some comfort as she tried not to think about Vegeta and what he was doing with that woman in his house. She fell into a fitful sleep and before she knew it, the sun had risen. She glanced over at the clock, seeing it was just past 9 a.m. and knew her jet would be there soon. She freshened herself up, put on a warm outfit, made herself a cup of coffee and found herself lacking an appetite. She leaned against the counter, coffee cup in hand. I _wonder how Christmas back home was. Wonder if Yamcha has tried to call me. Has he even noticed I've been gone for almost a week now? I'm sure he has…he's probably stopped by my house to see me. Does it really matter? I guess not. If I can just avoid him for New Years, I'll be alright._

She heard a knock at the front door. For a moment her heart jumped in her throat, her first thought was that it might be Vegeta. She wasn't sure quite yet on how she was going to handle him. She then realized it was probably her pilots there to pick her up. She opened the door, fully expecting to see her flight crew…but instead it was Vegeta standing there, with an indescribable look upon his face as he laid eyes upon her. "Good, you haven't left yet."

"Vegeta….what are you doing here?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"I said I'd be here to see you off, didn't I?" he replied. "I am not one to break promises." He dug himself into his coat further, frowning as he tried to ward off the chilly breeze. "Can I come in?"

"Oh, um…sure." Bulma said lamely, stepping aside, allowing him to enter. Closing the door behind her she turned to look at him in wonderment as he studied her suitcases, all packed up and ready to go. "Why did you knock? Why didn't you just come in?"

He shrugged as he took his attention away from her luggage. "Need to break my habit of just walking in here. And I didn't know if you wanted me here." They stood in silence as he awaited an answer, but after a few moments he realized Bulma didn't have anything to say to him, gathering that he probably wasn't welcomed. "Bulma, I need to talk to you about last night…"

She held up her hand in a commanding gesture, stopping him. "No Vegeta, there is nothing to talk about. I really don't want to hear it, and there's no need for you to say anything about it. You are a single man, I understand that. You're free to do as you please. It's my fault for coming to your place unannounced."

"No, it's not your fault." he said sternly as he walked up to her, getting into her personal space. "I told you it that it _wasn't_ what you thought, and I wasn't lying. She is an ex-girlfriend. A _drunk off her ass_ ex-girlfriend who came by last night, wanting to get back together with me because she missed me and it was Christmas. I told her I wasn't fucking interested and she started getting emotional. She didn't want to leave even after I told her I was getting involved with someone else. She started to try to flip out on me…and that's when you showed up. Believe me…I have no interest in her whatsoever."

Bulma searched his obsidian eyes for a hint or trace of a lie, but found none. She felt bad about temporarily doubting him, but after her long, tumultuous history with Yamcha, she had been a little scarred from trust issues. "Why didn't you just say that last night?"

"I was caught off-guard with you showing up and her breaking my shit inside my house. If I brought you inside she probably would have tried to attack you, considering how fucking drunk she was. Hell, she would have gone off on the both of us. I know it looked bad, but I preferred having you think the worst of me than to put you in such a situation."

And Bulma _had_ thought the worst of the matter. Only a handful of days of knowing this man, and already she had felt more heartbreak over Vegeta than she ever had over Yamcha. The raw realization of this kept her tossing and turning all night. How could she ever justify that she had possibly fallen in love with a man she barely has known for a week? She had chalked it up to the thrill of not being herself…but whatever happened between them….it had gone much more beyond that. She snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him, his face searching hers intently, trying to gauge a read on her. "So…this person you told her you were getting involved with….that person is me, right?"

Vegeta gave her a soft, endearing look. "Yes. I would think that was pretty obvious, woman."

"Not that obvious if I had to ask." Bulma said in a small, indignant huff.

He placed his arms around her waist and brought her up against him, caught breathless in a life-altering moment of time. He nuzzled her face with his, his lips teasing as they feathered against her cheek and lips before he kissed her with determination. It had been a handful of days since he was last able to touch and kiss her, but damn did it feel like forever ago. He pulled away, both of them dazed from the kiss. He couldn't help but smirk at her. "There. Is it more obvious to you now?"

She snapped out of her haze and narrowed her eyes at him. "No need to be a jerk, Vegeta." she murmured, her scold laced with affection as she set her coffee mug down in order to put her hands on him. With a renewed sense of urgency, they continued to kiss each other as though they had been apart for years and were only now just reunited.

"Are you still leaving today?" Vegeta couldn't help but ask as he paused their make-out session before they started to get too hot and heavy. The very notion of Bulma leaving him and never being able to see her again had been burning a terrible hole in his heart and he needed to face it head on.

Bulma caught her breath for a moment as she tried to get a grip on reality, her voice reluctant to say the next word to him. "Yes."

He frowned, the heartache evident on him as he gently ran a hand though her blue hair, drinking in her presence. It wasn't fair to have her come into his life out of nowhere; to be given a taste of what it was to have her, to hold her, to be a part of her, only to have her taken away from him. "Can't you stay longer?" he asked of her, his words thick with emotion, "At least a few more days?"

How could her heart not break? "Vegeta, I can't." she consoled, bringing her hand up to cradle his face. "Believe me, I want to stay here with you…." the ache within her chest pulsated hard, "…but I have to go back home. I have to." she ran her hand lovingly over his forehead and through his hair. " My jet is already on the way. But…I can come and visit you. A couple of times a year, maybe." she reassured him, knowing that was the best case scenario. With her insane work schedule and career demands, she would be hard pressed to find spare time to fly out here again to see him more than that…and she wasn't sure she would be able to handle going so many months without going crazy from missing him.

"I don't want you to leave." Vegeta confessed, hovering his lips over hers, holding this moment in time forever in his heart before he kissed her deeply, pouring his emotions into it. He held her tight against him, wanting to never forget how she felt on him, taking in this moment where she was here, right now, with him and no one else. He broke their kiss again with the simple words of "I think I love you."

Her breath had been stolen. The ache in her chest pulsed harder, for she knew she had been falling in love with him also. At once she cursed fate for being so cruel to bring Vegeta into her life, only to turn around and make her live without him. What she wouldn't give to stay with him and forsake her life back home. A loud, abrupt bang on the door jerked them both out of their trance as they knew her jet had arrived to take her away. "I…I have to go." she haphazardly mumbled, unwilling to bring closure between them or echo his sentiments about what they had with each other. She removed herself from his hold, seeing swirls of emotion within Vegeta's eyes that would haunt her forever if she didn't get going. She quickly gathered her coat and her suitcase, making a move to rush out the door before Vegeta got in her way, grabbing her in one big swoop to kiss her again one last time.

Reality was much too painful as she kissed him back, a torrent of emotion overcoming her as she managed to tear away from him and bolt out the door, hurrying past her pilots to get on the jet…

…leaving behind a broken-hearted man who knew he was letting go of the best thing to ever happen in his life.

* * *

Only minutes into her flight, Bulma's stare was broken from the lush terrain below as her vision started to blur. She tried, with all her might, with all her willpower, to quell the heartache that threatened to burst from within.

Half the world apart from him.

Half the world. Apart from him.

Half the world apart. From him.

It sickened her to know she was to be half the planet away from Vegeta, all the while closest to the man she wanted nothing more to ever do with again.

She tried to blink the blurriness away, but to no avail as hot tears silently fell upon her cheeks. Startled, she reached up and tenderly touched the teardrops. Not since she was a small child had she cried for anything, let alone for anyone.

A failed relationship almost a decade in the making could not render any genuine heart-filled emotion from her…but less than a week with a man she hardly knew had brought her to tears. She inhaled a shaky breath as she allowed herself to cry as everything within was screaming at her to not to go home. To go back and be with Vegeta.

"Turn around!" Bulma blurted at the pilots, who both turned to look at her disbelievingly.

"But Miss Brief…" the co-pilot began.

"I said turn around! Take me back, right now!" she ordered, finding more strength behind her words by the second as the decision to go back to Vegeta urged her on.

"Yes, ma'am, as you wish." the pilot granted as he shrugged at the co-pilot. She was their boss, after all. He made a large turn as he flew back to the destination point, landing on the hillside minutes after.

Bulma grabbed her suitcase and coat again, jolting from the jet. "I'll compensate you both greatly for the trouble and your time." she reassured the pilots, seeing them perk up in happiness at hearing her generosity. "Fly back home safely! I'll call you to pick me back up, oh….I don't know, maybe…sometime after the New Year? Or longer!" she shouted gleefully to them as she waved goodbye before turning and scurrying up the stone pavement back to Chi-Chi's home.

She opened the door in a whirlwind, startling Vegeta, who she found sitting down on the couch holding his head in his hands as he looked up and locked teary eyes with hers. "So…I was thinking that maybe I should stay…since, you know, we'd each at least have a date for New Years…" she said, her voice trembling.

Vegeta breathed out heavily, partway in relief, but mostly in gratitude to some unknown higher power that sensed the ache in his heart and decided to grant the love of his life back to him. Such joy mixed with emotion in his voice. "And here I was, thinking I would have no one to kiss at midnight."

Bulma laughed softly though her tears as she walked over, standing in front of him as he arose to meet her, placing her hands around his waist and hugged him tight, burying her face in his chest. "I didn't want to leave. Everything told me to stay. But when I left, I couldn't breathe. I think I love you too."

Even with tears her azure eyes held such beauty within them. He enclosed her within his strong arms, vowing to himself that one way or another he would not allow himself to ever be without her again. He touched his forehead to hers as they embraced, drinking in this most definitive moment where they came to accept that this had turned into something neither one of them ever expected. "The strings between us became attached after all." he mused as an ironic afterthought.

Bulma sniffled as she squeezed him tighter. "Should have known something was up when our one-night-stand turned into two." she quipped as their desire and thirst for one another was undeniable. "Now to figure out how to make a long-distance relationship work."

"Let's not worry about that right now." Vegeta soothed as he kissed her warmly, content to ignore that inevitable reality now that it had been delayed. All he was concerned about was spending whatever time he could with this woman. "Are you hungry? Let's go to breakfast. There is a good restaurant in the village that I know. I'll drive."

Bulma brightened at the idea, willing to take his cue to not think about their future and just enjoy the here and now they had with each other. "But it's Christmas morning….do you think anyone will be open right now?"

"Ah, that's right." he frowned, forgetting that. "Well then, I will make us breakfast here."

She raised her eyebrow at him in skeptical amusement. "You can cook? You don't look like you can even crack an egg." she playfully teased.

"Looks can be deceiving, woman. I am skilled at many things…some of which you are already aware of." he said suggestively, giving her a sexy smirk as he let go of her and went into the kitchen.

She crossed her arms and leaned her hip against the doorway, watching him open the refrigerator door to look at his options. "I don't know about that, Vegeta. It's been awhile. You might have to remind me again."

He turned to look at her to see if she meant it or not, but the desire in her eyes only reflected his own. He closed the fridge door, giving her a lust-filled, hunted look. "Is that a challenge? Because although I greatly enjoy food, I will sacrifice satisfying my hunger in order to satisfy you."

Bulma seductively bit her lower lip as she pushed off the doorway. "Or you could do both at the same time." she invited as she turned and walked away, sashaying her hips, only for Vegeta to growl lustily as he quickly swooped upon her and took her to the bedroom.

She was the best Christmas gift he had ever received on Christmas morning.

* * *

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you liked my story. Please, feel free to leave me a review and tell me what you think!

Also, if you aren't already, please join us on the 'We're Just Saiyan' community on Google+. We're a great group of people who share our love of Vegeta and Bulma, as well as provide support and advice to each other on our reading, writing, artwork, and general DBZ chatter!

As a matter of fact, there is an advent calendar project currently going on in our WJS community started by Jessica, where we can write a 400 word or less drabble, or create artwork on daily prompts. I will more than likely be participating in that, so stay tuned for more! The prompts are below, so if you are interested in participating also, please join us! We would love to see your work!

1\. hot chocolate  
2\. fruitcake  
3\. festive  
4\. cloves  
5\. evergreen  
6\. boots  
7\. reflection  
8\. eggnog  
9\. fleece  
10\. ornament  
11\. snowman  
12\. blizzard  
13\. tranquility  
14\. fire  
15\. Bells  
16\. icicle  
17\. December  
18\. frost  
19\. gifts  
20\. coat  
21\. gloves  
22\. nostalgia  
23\. quilt  
24\. reindeer


End file.
